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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — a safe
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chest — of your body
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — to drill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. craft — a skill
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chest — a box
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a match

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