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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. field — a subject
  4. bore — to drill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. foot — a measure
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cap — a hat
  12. file — a tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cap — a lid
  21. file — a document
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. file — a line of people
  24. plane — a tool

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