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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 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. band — a music group
  4. kick — in football
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. band — a ring
  17. toast — bread
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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