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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: firm · pop · rash · land · plane · chair · vault · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. land — a country
  4. pop — to visit
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — music
  9. rash — a series
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. plane — a tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. land — to come down
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rash — hasty
  23. land — ground
  24. pop — soda

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