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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — humankind
  5. vault — a safe
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. content — happy
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. content — the amount
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. race — the arms race
  19. firm — a company
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. firm — steady

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