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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — a gift
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cell — a phone
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. present — there
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cell — in biology
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — a part of something

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