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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mate — a partner
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. spell — a short time
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — magic
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spell — letters
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — in sport
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. net — for catching

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