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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mine — for digging
  7. object — an aim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — to rob
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — a thing
  13. vault — a safe
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mug — a face
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. object — to protest
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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