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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a music group
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. land — a country
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wake — a trail
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. band — a ring
  24. land — to come down

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