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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · pitcher · march · wound · lie · current · bulb · kick

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kick — in football
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. current — electric
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. march — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — of water
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. march — the month
  24. current — happening now

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