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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. last — final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — in a race
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — finally
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. vault — a safe
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — to go on
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. nail — for a hammer

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