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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: stick · mug · craft · ruler · foot · vault · lie · club

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — for dancing
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. vault — a safe
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — for golf
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — a measure
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. club — a group
  24. craft — a handicraft

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