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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: vault · charge · suit · capital · calf · bear · bulb · cold

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — money
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. suit — to fit
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bear — the animal
  18. capital — a city
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. charge — electricity
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. calf — of the leg

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