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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. vault — a safe
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. foot — a measure
  5. season — in sport
  6. degree — an amount
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. season — of the year
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. degree — from a university
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cue — a hint
  24. degree — temperature

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