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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: plane · cabinet · foot · scale · vault · prune · straw · present

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. scale — size or range
  3. vault — a safe
  4. present — the time now
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. present — there
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. present — a gift
  21. foot — a measure
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cabinet — ministers

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