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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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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: saw · cabinet · arm · tear · current · vault · prune · coach

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tear — from crying
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — happening now
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tear — to rip
  21. prune — to trim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — electric
  24. tear — from crying

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