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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. last — to go on
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. tube — the underground
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. squash — the sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. last — finally
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. last — 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