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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. net — for catching
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. net — in sport
  22. mine — for digging
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pound — a weight

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