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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — a series
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. press — to push
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — a committee

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