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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — boats
  3. can — to be able to
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — a tin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lean — thin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mouse — the 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