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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · row · arm · vault · rush · season · wound · plane

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. row — a line
  3. prune — to trim
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. season — of the year
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. plane — a tool
  23. row — to paddle
  24. arm — a part of something

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