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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — a short time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spell — magic
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — in music
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. march — music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cap — a lid
  20. scale — size or range
  21. spell — letters
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mouse — the animal

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