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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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. nail — on a finger
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bank — of a river
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — in football
  22. pound — a weight
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fall — to drop

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