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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — a short time
  4. key — in music
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spell — letters
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spell — magic
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cap — a hat
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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