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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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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: craft · vault · tear · plane · scale · present

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. present — there
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — a gift
  6. scale — size or range
  7. craft — a skill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tear — to rip
  11. vault — a safe
  12. craft — boats
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. present — the time now
  17. tear — from crying
  18. plane — a tool

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