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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a music group
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. suit — clothes
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. band — a ring
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — in control
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. track — to keep track
  22. vault — a safe
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. charge — a price

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