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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: rush · perch · key · prune · cell · vault · wave · racket

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cell — a phone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rush — hurry
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. key — the most important part
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. perch — for a bird

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