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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rule — a law
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — a short time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — the cause
  18. spell — letters
  19. craft — boats
  20. root — of a word
  21. rule — government
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pass — a permit

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