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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · bowl · cap · wake · bulb · straw · vault · squash

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. vault — a safe
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. squash — the sport
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com