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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 116 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
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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: vault · chair · prune · lean · hand · bore · key · craft

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hand — help
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bore — to tire
  7. craft — boats
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. key — in music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lean — thin
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lean — to rest against

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