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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. land — ground
  3. clip — for paper
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — a safe
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — a skill
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — a country
  15. clip — a video
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. land — to come down
  19. clip — to cut
  20. staff — a stick
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. craft — boats

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