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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.

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: tube · racket · vault · plane · hand · spell · rush · object

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. object — an aim
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. spell — a short time
  10. object — to protest
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tube — the underground
  20. object — a thing
  21. hand — help
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. plane — a tool

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