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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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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: chair · saw · capital · vault · bear · temple · rest · bulb

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. capital — a city
  14. chair — a leader
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rest — a break
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chair — to sit on

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