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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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Word bank
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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. present — there
  3. pit — a hole
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. swing — in golf
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. face — part of the head
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — to confront
  24. arm — a part of something

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