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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cold — not warm
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cold — an illness
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — a skill

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