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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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 · rash · sharp · can · rush · season · vault · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rash — hasty
  5. plane — a tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hand — help
  11. season — of the year
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hand — in cards
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — a series
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — in geometry

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