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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spring — the season
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spring — a coil
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spring — of water
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pass — a permit

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