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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: craft · hide · bay · rest · tear · vault · roll · band

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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 — a skill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a ring
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. band — a music group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. roll — a list
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. vault — a safe
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rest — a break
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — boats
  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