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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. land — to come down
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. squash — to crush
  8. land — a country
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. game — wild animals
  14. land — ground
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. game — a match
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. plane — a tool

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