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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. craft — boats
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. land — ground
  6. deal — to handle
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chest — of your body
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chest — a box
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. land — to come down
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. track — a path
  22. cell — in biology
  23. land — a country
  24. chest — of your body

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