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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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Word bank
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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: bear · plane · vault · court · wake · saw · march · foot

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. march — the month
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — of a king
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. march — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — of law
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — a tool
  24. foot — a measure

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