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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wound — an injury
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. capital — money
  12. current — electric
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. capital — a city
  17. perch — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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