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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: tube · sharp · cabinet · bore · chair · can · vault · prune

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bore — to tire
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. tube — the underground
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bore — gave birth

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