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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. vault — a safe
  5. game — wild animals
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fine — high quality
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. tear — from crying

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