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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: bore · ground · prune · rule · clip · vault · key · staff

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bore — to tire
  6. clip — for paper
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — government
  9. staff — employees
  10. rule — a law
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ground — crushed
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. clip — a video
  17. key — the most important part
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ground — a position
  23. clip — to cut
  24. vault — a safe

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