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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. land — ground
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. band — a ring
  9. cell — a phone
  10. land — a country
  11. vault — a safe
  12. land — to come down
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cell — in biology
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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