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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — a short time
  9. plane — a tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — a container
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — ground
  18. tube — the underground
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spell — magic
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spell — letters
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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