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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rock — a stone
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rock — music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fall — the season
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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