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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. firm — steady
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. lean — thin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. court — of a king
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lean — to bend
  12. vault — a safe
  13. degree — an amount
  14. court — of law
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. firm — decided
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — for sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. plane — a tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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