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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. craft — a skill
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. clip — to cut
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. clip — for paper
  13. craft — boats
  14. firm — steady
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. plane — a tool
  18. clip — a video

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