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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bat — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — a safe
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bark — to shout
  20. land — a country
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — part of the body

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