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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. last — finally
  4. swing — music
  5. last — to go on
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. tear — to rip
  8. swing — to play on
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — in golf
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. last — final
  15. firm — steady
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. file — a tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — a safe
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — a company

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