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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitch — completely
  8. clip — a video
  9. bound — tied together
  10. clip — for paper
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — obliged
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bound — certain
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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