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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · plane · hand · cabinet · pitcher · vault · bowl · wave

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hand — help
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wave — of the sea

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