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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tear — to rip
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a trace
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mine — for digging
  23. vault — a safe
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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