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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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 — a tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. march — the month
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. land — ground
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. land — to come down
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. clip — to cut
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. march — music
  23. cue — a hint
  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