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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — ground
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cold — an illness
  7. land — to come down
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — a country
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cold — not warm
  16. vault — a safe
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. key — in music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. squash — the sport
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cold — the Cold War

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