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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. snap — to click
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kick — in football
  11. kid — child
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a dance
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. prune — to trim

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