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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — final
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — to sink
  18. vault — a safe
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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