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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bass — low music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cap — of ice
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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