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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 116 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: bear · net · file · wax · vault · cold · ruler · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. file — a document
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. file — a tool
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — for catching
  10. cold — an illness
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — to grow
  19. net — in sport
  20. cold — not warm
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. net — after costs

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