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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. present — a gift
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. foot — a measure
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rash — a series
  12. rule — government
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. present — there
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. present — the time now
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wake — a trail

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