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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rest — a break
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — in a road
  11. vault — a safe
  12. band — a music group
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. scale — size or range
  15. band — a ring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. scale — in music

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