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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bass — low music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bass — the fish
  13. row — a line
  14. shower — rain
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lean — to bend
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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