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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: chair · bowl · vault · season · plane · pass · rest · rule

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. season — of the year
  6. rule — a law
  7. vault — a safe
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rule — government
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rest — a break
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bowl — a football 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