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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — to paddle
  3. band — a ring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — a safe
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. band — a music group
  11. spring — the season
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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