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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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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: fork · vault · face · bear · stand · sharp · bulb · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cap — a hat
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cap — of ice
  7. face — to confront
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stand — to bear
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. sharp — exactly

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