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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. court — for sport
  6. row — a line
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. court — of law
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. court — of a king
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bulb — for light

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