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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. saw — the tool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — to come down
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. swing — to play on
  8. land — a country
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. vault — a safe
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. land — ground
  15. wax — to grow
  16. net — for catching
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. net — after costs
  19. swing — in golf
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. swing — music
  24. net — in sport

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