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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: prune · leaves · present · mouse · bowl · stick · vault · saw

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. present — there
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — a gift
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. saw — the tool

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