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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cold — an illness
  5. craft — a skill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fine — all right
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. craft — boats
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. drill — a practice
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wave — with your hand

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