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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bass — the fish
  4. plane — a tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rest — a break
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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