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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 120 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: prune · mark · lie · net · cold · trunk · saw · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. net — in sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — an illness
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — an untruth

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