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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. plane — a tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. land — a country
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bulb — for light

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