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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mug — a face
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. prune — to trim
  14. clip — for paper
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fine — all right
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — to rob
  21. clip — a video
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — to hurry
  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