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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. drill — army training
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fall — the season
  19. spell — magic
  20. pop — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to dunk

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