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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · kid · vault · bore · dip · bulb · rash · capital

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. capital — a city
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — child
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. capital — money
  24. rash — a series

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