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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — in music
  3. season — in sport
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. object — a thing
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. tube — the underground

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