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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mug — to rob
  4. land — ground
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. craft — a skill
  11. roll — a list
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. craft — boats
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wake — a trail
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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