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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. shower — rain
  6. land — a country
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — to wash
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. spring — a coil
  24. vault — a safe

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