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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bound — certain
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. snap — to click
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kick — in football

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