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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. vault — a safe
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. roll — a cake
  11. perch — the fish
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. saw — the tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. suit — to fit
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. roll — a list
  24. plane — in geometry

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