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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 124 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cell — in biology
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cell — a phone

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