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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wake — a trail
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — employees
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cap — of ice
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. race — a contest
  15. plane — a tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cap — a lid
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cap — a hat

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