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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.

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: plane · mine · wave · ball · rule · saw · vault · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mine — for digging
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rule — a law
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rule — government

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