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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — a gift
  8. vault — a safe
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. tube — a container
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. present — the time now
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tube — the underground
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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