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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. degree — an amount
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rule — government
  7. plane — a tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rule — a law
  11. charge — in control
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — a price
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. degree — from a university
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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