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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. game — a match
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. vault — a safe
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. nail — for a hammer

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