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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a great time
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — to get on
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. craft — boats
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — temperature
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. degree — from a university
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. degree — an amount
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wake — a trail
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a dance
  24. nail — for a hammer

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