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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. roll — a list
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a cake
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — a tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — on a roll

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