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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chest — of your body
  3. toast — bread
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. craft — boats
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. file — a document
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chest — a box
  15. staff — employees
  16. chest — of your body
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. row — a line
  19. staff — a stick
  20. file — a tool
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. file — a line of people
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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