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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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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: mine · vault · lean · rock · plane · ground · craft · hand

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. hand — in cards
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rock — music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. craft — boats
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ground — a position
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lean — thin
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mine — for digging
  24. hand — part of the body

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