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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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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: perch · rock · tear · craft · band · vault

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. craft — a skill
  3. band — a music group
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. craft — boats
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. perch — the fish
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rock — a stone
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. tear — to rip

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