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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — the amount
  6. craft — boats
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. content — happy
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. clip — a video
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bank — for money
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stand — to bear

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