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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. firm — decided
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — for pool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. sharp — clever
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cue — a signal
  17. firm — steady
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. firm — a company
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cue — a hint

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