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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — for a lock
  6. vault — a safe
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. key — in music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — the most important part
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — to handle
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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