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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — happening now
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — in a road
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rock — music
  23. current — electric
  24. fork — to eat with

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