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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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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 · chest · rest · bulb · leaves · object · pound · stick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chest — a box
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bulb — for light
  9. object — an aim
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rest — a break
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  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