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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: mine · craft · plane · cabinet · court · vault · fall · firm

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — for sport
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. court — of a king
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. firm — decided
  10. court — of law
  11. craft — boats
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mine — for digging
  17. firm — steady
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. firm — a company

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