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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. staff — a stick
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mark — a trace
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a lid
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. scale — size or range
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cap — of ice
  20. staff — employees
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — a hat
  23. scale — in music
  24. vault — a safe

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