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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.

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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — to recline
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. roll — a list
  16. vault — a safe
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lie — an untruth

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