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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · land · object · bay · vault · snap · season · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. current — happening now
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bulb — for light
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. object — an aim
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. object — to protest
  16. current — electric
  17. land — ground
  18. snap — to click
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. season — in sport
  22. object — a thing
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bulb — for light

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