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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. vault — a safe
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — thin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rest — a break
  22. pass — a permit
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lean — to rest against

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