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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 · press · race · suit · chair · cap · vault · date

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cap — of ice
  5. vault — a safe
  6. race — humankind
  7. suit — clothes
  8. race — the arms race
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. date — the fruit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. press — a publisher
  17. race — a contest
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. press — to push
  24. plane — a tool

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