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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 120 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: lean · wake · stock · vault · tube · court · bulb · saw

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lean — thin
  3. court — for sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wake — a trail
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stock — goods
  14. court — of a king
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — of law
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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