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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cue — a hint
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rule — a law
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. roll — a list
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — to trim
  21. vault — a safe
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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