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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 124 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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. vault — a safe
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rock — music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cell — a phone
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rock — a stone
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rule — government
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. rule — a law
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chest — of your body

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