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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: wound · vault · tube · bulb · kick · bay · mouse · wake

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kick — in football
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tube — a container
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — before a funeral

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