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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cold — not warm
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cap — a hat
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cap — of ice
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — a series
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — a lid
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rash — hasty

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