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

Word bank: drill · present · craft · vault · cap · kid

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kid — to tease
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cap — a hat
  8. drill — army training
  9. present — there
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. present — a gift
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. craft — boats
  14. kid — child
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cap — of ice
  18. present — the time now

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