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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. club — a group
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. capital — money
  13. vault — a safe
  14. saw — the tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a city

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