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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pop — to visit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to click
  16. vault — a safe
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — soda
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — to grow

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