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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — a safe
  5. drill — army training
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a signal
  13. face — to point toward
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chair — a leader
  23. face — to confront
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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