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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. vault — a safe
  12. craft — a skill
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — for a lock
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rock — music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. craft — boats
  19. face — to point toward
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a line
  24. craft — a handicraft

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