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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · snap · vault · prune · fork · chest

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rule — government
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chest — of your body
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — a law
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — a safe
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chest — a box
  16. snap — to click
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. prune — to trim

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