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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. drill — army training
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. vault — a safe
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pit — a hole
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — the tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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