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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 geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. land — ground
  3. pit — in a race
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — a country
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. last — finally
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — a song
  19. rest — a break
  20. land — to come down
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. track — a path
  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