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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — certain
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cap — of ice
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — to drop
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fall — to drop

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