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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: snap · tube · mine · prune · saw · vault · cell · stick

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — for digging
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to click
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cell — a phone
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mine — belonging to me

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