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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: row · bat · clip · plane · jam · pop · patient · vault

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. vault — a safe
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. clip — a video
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pop — soda
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. clip — to cut
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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