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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mark — a trace
  4. vault — a safe
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mark — a grade
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rush — hurry
  15. capital — a city
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bat — the animal
  24. straw — dry grass

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