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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — boats
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — to paddle
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ground — a position
  18. row — a line
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — of the year
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wake — before a funeral

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