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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. spell — magic
  2. wake — a trail
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spell — a short time
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spell — letters
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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