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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wake — a trail
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — for money
  18. date — the fruit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. snap — to click
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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