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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: trunk · plane · vault · fall · toast · last · ball · spring

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. last — to go on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a great time
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — finally
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. spring — the season
  19. last — final
  20. spring — of water
  21. plane — a tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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