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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — soda
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mug — a face
  19. stem — to come from
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — to grow

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