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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lean — to bend
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. vault — a safe
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pop — soda
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — thin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. date — the fruit
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pop — music

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