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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — a gift
  9. pop — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pop — soda
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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