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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 · vault · leaves · plane · prune · bass · race · calf

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. plane — a tool
  12. race — humankind
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. race — a contest
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to click
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. race — the arms race

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