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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. prune — to trim
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kick — in football
  9. land — ground
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — a country
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. vault — a safe
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. land — to come down
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. firm — steady
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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