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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. current — happening now
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — to visit
  5. firm — steady
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. current — electric
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — soda
  14. current — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. firm — decided
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. firm — a company
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. nail — on a finger
  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