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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: face · pop · vault · capital · cabinet · roll · bear · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pop — to visit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pop — soda
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. capital — money
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — music
  24. roll — a list

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