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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: bulb · vault · roll · track · wake · wave · stick · chest

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — to keep track
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. track — a song
  13. chest — a box
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. track — a path
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. roll — a list
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wake — a trail

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