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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tear — to rip
  7. shower — rain
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tear — from crying
  11. field — farmland
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — to fit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. field — a subject
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. shower — to wash

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