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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · vault · prune · lean · patient · stock · saw · mine

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — thin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stock — shares
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. patient — a sick person

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