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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. vault — a safe
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bat — the animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — magic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. kid — child
  24. bulb — for light

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