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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.

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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: vault · bulb · mark · craft · arm · wound · season · wave

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. season — in sport
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bulb — for light
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. craft — boats
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. season — of the year
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. vault — a safe
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. season — to add flavour

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