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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. track — a path
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. file — a document
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fall — the season
  16. cap — a lid
  17. plane — a tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — a song
  22. file — a tool
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. file — a line of people

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