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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 120 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: patient · arm · plane · kid · coach · fall · key · vault

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. vault — a safe
  7. key — for a lock
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kid — child
  18. fall — the season
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  24. key — in music

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