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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. tear — from crying
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — boats
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — a weight
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — a handicraft

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