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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pass — a permit
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — to come down
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. lean — thin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — a country
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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