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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · bat · rule · cabinet · craft · row

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rule — government
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. vault — a safe
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — boats
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rule — a law

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