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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
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: ball · stand · lie · prune · field · saw · squash · vault

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — farmland
  19. stand — to bear
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. vault — a safe
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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