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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. vault — a safe
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. press — to push
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tube — a container
  15. roll — a cake
  16. press — a publisher
  17. craft — a skill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. roll — a list
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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