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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: arm · bay · clip · foot · ground · vault · plane · prune

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. clip — to cut
  4. plane — a tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. clip — a video
  13. ground — the earth
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. clip — for paper
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ground — crushed
  24. foot — the bottom

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