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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rule — government
  19. drill — army training
  20. rule — a law
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. drill — the tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. prune — to trim

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