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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kick — in football
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rock — music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a tool

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