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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — the season
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spell — letters
  8. clip — for paper
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — magic
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — high quality
  20. plane — a tool
  21. spell — a short time
  22. clip — a video
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. clip — to cut

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