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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — the fish
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. vault — a safe
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pop — soda
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — a line
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lean — thin

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