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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cue — a signal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — size or range
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. present — a gift
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. present — the time now
  20. cue — for pool
  21. present — there
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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