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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spring — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — of water
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. vault — a safe
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hand — help
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — a coil
  21. craft — boats
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bat — the animal

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