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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — the underground
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. mate — to breed
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fork — in a road
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — a friend
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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