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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. track — a path
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. date — the fruit
  9. craft — boats
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. object — to protest
  13. hand — in cards
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. object — an aim
  24. vault — a safe

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