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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. saw — the tool
  9. file — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — the earth
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ground — a position
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. file — a document
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rush — to hurry

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