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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. vault — a safe
  9. roll — a list
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. craft — boats
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. track — a song
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. roll — a cake

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