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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spring — the season
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — the fruit
  7. content — the amount
  8. can — to be able to
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spring — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — the season
  19. content — happy
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — a safe
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spring — a coil

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