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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stock — goods
  11. chest — of your body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. key — for a lock
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stock — shares
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chest — a box
  23. vault — a safe
  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