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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rash — hasty
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — the time now
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. present — a gift
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. craft — boats
  18. can — to be able to
  19. present — there
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. face — to confront
  22. rash — a series
  23. face — part of the head
  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