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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. present — the time now
  3. row — a line
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. craft — boats
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — a partner
  9. present — there
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bass — the fish
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bass — low music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rash — a series
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. present — a gift

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