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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 120 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: vault · wax · pass · chip · perch · rest · prune · firm

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — decided
  9. vault — a safe
  10. firm — a company
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — to eat
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chip — for betting
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. firm — steady
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pass — a permit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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