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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · press · bay · prune · vault · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. press — newspapers
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. press — a publisher
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — from crying
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. press — to push
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tear — from crying

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