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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 116 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: kick · charge · bulb · fork · bound · cold · deal · vault

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bound — certain
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. charge — electricity
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kick — in football
  22. charge — in control
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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