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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. vault — a safe
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ground — the earth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — of a river
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ground — a position
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — a box
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. perch — the fish
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ground — crushed

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