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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. current — electric
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mine — for digging
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. current — happening now
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fine — all right
  24. plane — in geometry

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