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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. vault — a safe
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — to get on
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. plane — a tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — a committee
  14. spring — of water
  15. fine — high quality
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spell — letters
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. wind — moving air

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