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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fall — the season
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — of ice
  10. prune — to trim
  11. vault — a safe
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spell — magic
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spell — letters
  24. bat — for baseball

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