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

Word bank: plane · saw · temple · sharp · march · rule · vault · stick

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. march — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rule — government
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. sharp — clever

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