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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rule — government
  5. mark — a grade
  6. object — an aim
  7. mark — a trace
  8. object — to protest
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rule — a law
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. capital — money
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. capital — a city
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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