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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — soda
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — to sink
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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