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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. perch — the fish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. vault — a safe
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a ring
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mate — a friend
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — a partner
  20. band — a music group
  21. drill — the tool
  22. plane — a tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mate — to breed

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