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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mine — for digging
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — to protest
  10. vault — a safe
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. plane — a tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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