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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fine — all right
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fine — high quality
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. last — final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. last — finally
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. current — of water
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a skill
  20. kick — in football
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. last — to go on
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. craft — boats

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