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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bass — low music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rest — a break
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — to go away

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