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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 124 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fork — in a road
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bank — of a river
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — government
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — a football final

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