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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pass — a permit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. scale — size or range
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a music group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. toast — bread
  24. rush — to hurry

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