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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — thin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rest — a break
  10. wound — an injury
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — music
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. swing — music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fall — the season

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