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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bound — certain
  3. suit — in cards
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wind — moving air
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wind — moving air
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bowl — to roll

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