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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. sharp — clever
  6. drill — the tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. root — of a word
  11. spell — a short time
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. vault — a safe
  15. drill — army training
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — magic
  20. root — of a plant
  21. drill — a practice
  22. plane — a tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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