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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — a leader
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — boats
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. vault — a safe
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. club — a group
  24. foot — a measure

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