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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — ground
  10. plane — a tool
  11. land — a country
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. land — to come down
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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