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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fine — all right
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stem — to come from

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