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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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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mine — for digging
  3. can — to be able to
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wound — an injury
  11. craft — a skill
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mug — to rob
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — a face
  22. craft — boats
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mug — a cup

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