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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — a safe
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. staff — a stick
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spring — of water

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