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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: mate · prune · lean · vault · bass · kid · bay · key

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lean — to bend
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bass — low music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lean — thin
  18. key — for a lock
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kid — child
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. key — in music

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