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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — for catching
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — the season
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. net — after costs
  14. spring — a coil
  15. firm — a company
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — steady
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — a tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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