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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. vault — a safe
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hand — in cards
  20. track — a path
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. track — a song
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — part of the body

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