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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: last · stick · mug · vault · prune · bay · face · pitcher

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. last — finally
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. last — final
  5. face — to confront
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a cup
  13. last — to go on
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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