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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. content — happy
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — to shout
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — magic
  15. content — the amount
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. craft — boats
  22. spell — letters
  23. craft — a skill
  24. leaves — of a tree

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