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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: foot · root · craft · prune · file · bay · vault · saw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. prune — to trim
  3. root — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. file — a line of people
  6. craft — a skill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. vault — a safe
  15. craft — boats
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. file — a tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. root — the cause
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. root — of a word
  23. file — a document
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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