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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. row — to paddle
  3. spell — magic
  4. tube — a container
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — letters
  9. key — for a lock
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. row — a line
  15. tube — the underground
  16. vault — a safe
  17. key — in music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — boats
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spell — a short time

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