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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hand — help
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lean — thin
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hand — in cards
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. suit — to fit

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