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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. date — the fruit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chair — a leader
  6. plane — a tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spell — magic
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rest — what's left
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rest — a break

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