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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — to keep track
  8. prune — to trim
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rash — hasty
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kick — in football
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rash — a series
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. track — a path
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. vault — a safe

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