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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bound — obliged
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. net — after costs
  7. mark — a grade
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — for catching
  10. bound — tied together
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — employees
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. staff — a stick
  20. net — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — what's left

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