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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bark — to shout
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fall — the season
  19. vault — a safe
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. foot — a measure

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