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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. clip — to cut
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — a safe
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to click
  10. prune — to trim
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. game — wild animals
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. clip — a video
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. clip — for paper
  24. game — a match

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