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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. file — a document
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. file — a tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cold — not warm
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bowl — a football final

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