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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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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: last · cell · pass · plane · capital · ball · vault · lash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. capital — a city
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. capital — money
  12. last — to go on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. last — final

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