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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. object — a thing
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. season — in sport
  10. object — to protest
  11. net — after costs
  12. craft — boats
  13. season — of the year
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. craft — a skill
  16. net — for catching
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — an aim
  19. rush — hurry
  20. net — in sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of a tree

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