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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cell — a phone
  3. root — the cause
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — to protest
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. root — of a word
  13. object — a thing
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. craft — boats
  20. object — an aim
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rush — hurry
  24. root — of a plant

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