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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · current · tear · straw · prune · pitcher · vault · leaves

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. firm — steady
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — a safe
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. tear — from crying
  11. firm — a company
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. current — of water
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — decided

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