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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — in music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pop — soda
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. firm — steady
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cue — a hint
  12. firm — decided
  13. vault — a safe
  14. firm — a company
  15. pop — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cue — a signal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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