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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rule — government
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. craft — boats
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. last — to go on
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. deal — to handle
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — finally
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. calf — a young 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