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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stock — shares
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chip — for betting
  14. march — the month
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. march — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — a tool

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