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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: temple · nail · row · prune · vault · chair · toast · bulb

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. row — a line
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — to paddle
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bulb — for light
  18. toast — bread
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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