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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. drill — the tool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. craft — boats
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. land — to come down
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. march — music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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