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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. prune — to trim
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — of a word
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stand — to bear
  15. charge — in control
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — a price
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cell — in biology

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