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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bound — tied together
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bound — obliged
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bound — certain
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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