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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. club — a group
  3. bore — to tire
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spell — magic
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spell — a short time

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