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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. row — a line
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — to paddle
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. coach — a trainer

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