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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · plane · vault · current · face · rest · object · land

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ground — crushed
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — a position
  5. land — a country
  6. current — electric
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — happening now
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — the earth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — ground
  15. object — to protest
  16. current — of water
  17. object — an aim
  18. face — to point toward
  19. vault — a safe
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rest — a break
  22. land — to come down
  23. object — a thing
  24. rest — what's left

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