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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: craft · plane · ruler · vault · bat · key · face · bowl

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — boats
  4. key — in music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bat — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. face — to confront
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bowl — a football final

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