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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 120 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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — all right
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — a series
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wound — an injury
  24. deal — to handle

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