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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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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: nail · lean · vault · firm · craft · prune · face · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to confront
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lean — thin
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. squash — to crush
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. craft — boats
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — a company
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. face — part of the head

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