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

Word bank: craft · temple · vault · band · arm · bowl

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. 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. craft — a handicraft
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. band — a ring
  10. vault — a safe
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — a skill
  13. band — a music group
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. craft — boats
  18. 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