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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: club · land · plane · spring · rock · vault · march · saw

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. rock — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — a tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — a stone
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. club — for golf
  20. march — the month
  21. land — to come down
  22. club — a group
  23. land — a country
  24. club — for dancing

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