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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. plane — a tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a committee
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. board — to get on
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. roll — a list
  24. ruler — for measuring

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