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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. craft — boats
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spell — magic
  6. club — a group
  7. kick — in football
  8. march — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. court — of law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a skill
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. court — of a king
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. march — the month
  20. vault — a safe
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. court — for sport

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