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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — farmland
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. field — for sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. field — a subject

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