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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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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: mark · cap · leaves · kid · saw · vault · prune · sharp

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — a trace
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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