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

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. craft — a skill
  3. root — of a word
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chest — of your body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — the cause
  15. scale — in music
  16. craft — boats
  17. chest — of your body
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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