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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — a short time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. drill — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spell — magic
  12. vault — a safe
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. roll — a list
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spell — letters
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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