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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: arm · prune · bulb · vault · cell · dip · coach · cap

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — a hat
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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