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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rash — a series
  7. prune — to trim
  8. last — to go on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — finally
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rash — hasty
  14. vault — a safe
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. face — to confront
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. last — final
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. face — to point toward

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