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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: face · vault · bulb · bowl · present · leaves · spring · stick

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. present — a gift
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. present — the time now
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spring — of water
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. face — to confront
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — to point toward
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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