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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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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: stick · bulb · vault · pit · band · tear · pop · safe

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pop — soda
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pop — to visit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — in a race
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. pit — a hole
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pop — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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