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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — a stick
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. object — to protest
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. object — an aim
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — employees
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fork — in a road
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — the fruit

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