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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. clip — a video
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. prune — to trim
  16. clip — for paper
  17. band — a music group
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. clip — to cut
  23. band — a ring
  24. vault — a safe

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