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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.

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 · present · bulb · pit · land · fall · season · mug

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — a country
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. present — there
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — ground
  14. season — of the year
  15. mug — to rob
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — to come down
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — the season
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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