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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. spring — a coil
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bulb — for light
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. craft — boats
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a ring
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — of water
  17. lean — thin
  18. spring — the season
  19. key — in music
  20. band — a music group
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bulb — for light
  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