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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — an aircraft

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