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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stem — to come from
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. content — the amount
  8. date — the fruit
  9. vault — a safe
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to click
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — all right
  22. content — happy
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — high quality

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