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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 120 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: bark · bowl · bore · kid · dip · vault · bay · bulb

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bore — to tire
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. dip — a sauce

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