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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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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 · vault · mate · stand · race · fan · cabinet · lie

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — humankind
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mate — a partner
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. race — a contest
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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