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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. firm — steady
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bound — certain
  10. firm — decided
  11. drill — the tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. can — to be able to
  14. drill — army training
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — to tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. prune — to trim
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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