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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. craft — boats
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. craft — a skill
  7. vault — a safe
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — of the year
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bank — for money
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — a tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. plane — an aircraft

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