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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.

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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: tube · stick · spell · bowl · rest · branch · prune · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — a break
  4. vault — a safe
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — a container

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