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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fall — the season
  5. track — a path
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chest — a box
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. march — music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — of your body
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. land — ground
  19. march — the month
  20. track — a song
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fall — to drop
  23. land — to come down
  24. hide — to keep secret

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