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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. plane — a tool
  3. land — ground
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — for a lock
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. land — a country
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pop — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — in music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pop — soda
  23. wound — an injury
  24. plane — an aircraft

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