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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. vault — a safe
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kick — in football
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — for a bird

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