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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. prune — to trim
  4. shower — to wash
  5. clip — a video
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. shower — rain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe

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