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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rock — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rash — hasty
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — a series
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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