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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. chair — a leader
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. suit — in cards
  7. craft — boats
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rest — a break
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. snap — to click
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rest — what's left
  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