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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a match

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