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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. vault — a safe
  4. craft — a skill
  5. land — to come down
  6. saw — the tool
  7. land — a country
  8. object — a thing
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bore — to drill
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — to tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bore — gave birth
  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