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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. vault — a safe
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — to protest
  9. last — final
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. object — a thing
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. last — finally
  17. object — an aim
  18. spell — magic
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. last — to go on
  22. spell — letters
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. sharp — clever

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