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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. net — after costs
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. file — a line of people
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a line
  11. net — in sport
  12. file — a document
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. row — to paddle
  18. branch — a division
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. net — for catching
  21. file — a tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hide — animal skin

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