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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cold — not warm
  4. branch — a division
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. suit — in cards
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cue — a hint
  23. suit — clothes
  24. snap — to click

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