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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: lash · plane · face · shower · kick · race · cap · vault

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. race — humankind
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cap — a lid
  6. shower — rain
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. race — a contest
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. shower — to wash
  16. face — to confront
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — the arms race
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. plane — a tool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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