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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. object — an aim
  3. clip — a video
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rash — a series
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spring — of water
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spring — the season
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — a thing
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. object — to protest
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spring — a coil
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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