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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.

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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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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: court · vault · hide · cap · pass · plane · tear · mouse

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — a hat
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. court — for sport
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tear — to rip

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