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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — boats
  6. firm — steady
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. race — humankind
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — a contest
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. firm — a company
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mug — a face
  17. firm — decided
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mug — a cup
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — to rob

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