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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: plane · land · rush · cap · snap · toast · vault · row

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. row — a line
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. land — to come down
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — a tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cap — a lid
  20. toast — bread
  21. row — to paddle
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rush — hurry

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