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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. press — to push
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. squash — to crush
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. press — newspapers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — a safe
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spell — a short time
  16. press — a publisher
  17. march — music
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spell — magic
  24. firm — steady

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