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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. key — in music
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fine — all right
  12. plane — a tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — obliged

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