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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. prune — to trim
  6. current — electric
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pop — soda
  11. file — a document
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. file — a tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. current — of water

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