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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — music
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. club — for golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. club — for dancing
  15. squash — to crush
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — a group
  24. saw — the tool

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