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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. spell — magic
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — of a plant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — the cause
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spell — letters
  20. root — of a word
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rest — a break
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — a 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