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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: prune · calf · plane · sharp · vault · ground · rush · toast

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ground — crushed
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — a position
  11. prune — to trim
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. toast — bread
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. sharp — clever
  21. vault — a safe
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. plane — a tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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