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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. charge — in control
  3. vault — a safe
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wake — a trail
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a dance
  10. branch — a division
  11. charge — a price
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — certain
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cap — of ice
  24. craft — a skill

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