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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pass — a permit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. band — a ring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. plane — a tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. plane — in geometry

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