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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cell — in biology
  7. swing — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. lie — to recline
  18. swing — in golf
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — a phone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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