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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. track — a path
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — help
  13. fall — the season
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. track — to keep track

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