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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. craft — boats
  3. band — a ring
  4. hand — in cards
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rash — hasty
  11. vault — a safe
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. band — a music group
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hand — help

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