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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: tear · prune · lie · mark · sharp · row · rule · vault

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. row — to paddle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tear — to rip
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rule — a law
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rule — government
  23. tear — from crying
  24. row — a line

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