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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pop — soda
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kid — to tease
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pop — music
  10. kid — child
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lie — to recline
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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