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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: rest · dip · object · wind · prune · stem · pit · vault

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. object — a thing
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — a safe
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rest — a break
  24. stem — to come from

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