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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — a path
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — a song
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fork — in a road
  20. shower — to wash
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. shower — rain

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