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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: prune · rule · vault · bulb · saw · stick · fine · mate

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — government
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rule — a law
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fine — high quality

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