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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. charge — a price
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. last — finally
  12. charge — electricity
  13. last — to go on
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — in control
  16. mine — for digging
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. field — a subject
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. last — final

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