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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 120 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: prune · plane · present · face · arm · vault · kid · pit

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. present — there
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. kid — to tease
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. face — to confront
  20. present — a gift
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — the time now
  23. face — part of the head
  24. prune — the fruit

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