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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mark — a grade
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chest — a box
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mark — a trace
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rock — a stone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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