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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. fine — all right
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. tear — from crying
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. plane — a tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tear — to rip
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fine — a penalty
  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