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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — a phone
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cell — in biology
  13. track — a path
  14. rash — a series
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — a break
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rest — what's left
  24. track — a song

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