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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  3. tube — a container
  4. vault — a safe
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tube — the underground
  8. craft — boats
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. scale — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. craft — a skill
  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