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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — a container
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — to recline
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — finally
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. root — the cause
  22. tube — the underground
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. root — of a plant

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