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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. band — a music group
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. drill — army training
  14. band — a ring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. craft — a skill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. vault — a safe
  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