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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. march — the month
  3. degree — from a university
  4. staff — employees
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. march — music
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. march — the month
  23. vault — a safe
  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