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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pitch — completely
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. toast — bread
  11. vault — a safe
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mine — for digging

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