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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — a friend
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rash — hasty
  8. key — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. track — a path
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. track — a song
  19. rash — a series
  20. mate — to breed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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