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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pop — soda
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pop — to visit
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — a partner
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — to breed
  18. land — ground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. plane — a tool
  21. spell — magic
  22. land — to come down
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. spell — a short time

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