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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. drill — the tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. key — the most important part
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. key — for a lock
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. drill — army training
  24. plane — an aircraft

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