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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. field — farmland
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pop — music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — a tool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pop — soda
  17. vault — a safe
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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