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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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468
Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. charge — in control
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cold — not warm
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cold — the Cold War

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