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

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — thin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to tire
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. snap — to click
  24. prune — the fruit

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