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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — an aim
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. race — a contest
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — to point toward
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. race — humankind
  19. kick — in football
  20. face — to confront
  21. saw — the tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — part of the head

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