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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — to come down
  5. game — wild animals
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. land — a country
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. land — ground
  12. craft — boats
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stock — shares
  15. game — a match
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. stock — goods
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lean — to bend
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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