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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. last — to go on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — a tin
  7. mug — a face
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — finally
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — to rob
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — to be able to
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — in sport
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — final
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — of the year
  24. deal — to handle

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