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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. track — a path
  3. kid — to tease
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — to rob
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. craft — boats
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kid — child
  24. mark — a trace

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