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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. craft — a skill
  3. net — after costs
  4. craft — boats
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — to visit
  9. spell — letters
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pop — soda
  12. firm — steady
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — in sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. firm — decided
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. net — for catching
  24. firm — a company

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