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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. plane — a tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. land — a country
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fork — in a road
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. board — a committee
  20. tube — the underground
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. land — to come down
  24. board — to get on

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