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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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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. content — the amount
  5. drill — the tool
  6. craft — boats
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mark — a grade
  9. drill — army training
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — a series
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mark — a trace
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — happy
  24. vault — a safe

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