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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · stick · firm · bowl · vault · rule

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rule — a law
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rule — government
  15. plane — a tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady

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