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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: stem · vault · current · coach · mouse · bulb · last · squash

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — happening now
  6. squash — to crush
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — final
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — of water
  20. last — to go on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — the sport

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