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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: bowl · roll · vault · fine · pitch · straw · plane · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. roll — a cake
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitch — completely
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. roll — a list
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. roll — on a roll

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