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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. tube — a container
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — of water
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cell — a phone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cell — in biology
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spring — the season
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — the fish
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. vault — a safe
  24. perch — for a bird

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