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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: roll · stand · vault · prune · wake · cabinet · current · nail

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — a trail
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stand — to bear
  10. roll — a list
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — happening now
  17. roll — a cake
  18. current — electric
  19. vault — a safe
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. current — of water

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