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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. object — a thing
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ball — a great time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. craft — boats
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. net — in sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. wax — to grow
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. object — to protest
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — an aim
  21. ball — a dance
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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