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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 124 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — a container
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. sharp — clever
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — a match
  17. cold — not warm
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. plane — an aircraft

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