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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. craft — boats
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mine — for digging
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stand — on your feet

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