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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. game — wild animals
  6. staff — a stick
  7. game — a match
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. court — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pass — a permit
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — a kind of play

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