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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 · wound · cabinet · race · vault · fork

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. race — humankind
  11. craft — a skill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wound — past of 'wind'

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