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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: mine · lean · chest · sharp · chair · vault · bulb · bound

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lean — thin
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lean — to bend
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chest — a box
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bound — obliged
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lean — to rest against

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