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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. band — a ring
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. vault — a safe
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a match
  22. band — a music group
  23. game — wild animals
  24. tube — a container

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