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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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Word bank
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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: stand · prune · vault · mine · object · bat · rest · roll

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. roll — a cake
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. roll — a list
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mine — for digging
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rest — what's left
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. object — an aim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — to protest

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