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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mark — a grade
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — a safe
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mark — to pay attention

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