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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. vault — a safe
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. prune — the fruit

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