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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
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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: rest · prune · date · land · can · object · dip · vault

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — a country
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — a safe
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. object — an aim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — ground
  14. object — a thing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. land — to come down
  20. object — to protest
  21. rest — a break
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — to sink

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