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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. track — a song
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — to keep track
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. land — ground
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. row — a line
  13. track — a path
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. vault — a safe
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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