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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — clever
  9. row — to paddle
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. game — a match
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. row — a quarrel

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