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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: straw · scale · lie · prune · vault · rock · rash · leaves

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lie — to recline
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. prune — to trim
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rock — to move gently

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