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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. club — for golf
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mark — a trace

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