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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. dip — to sink
  12. object — to protest
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. vault — a safe
  20. object — a thing
  21. craft — a skill
  22. current — happening now
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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