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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. shower — rain
  14. cap — a lid
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — boats
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cell — in biology

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