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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 · jam · bore · vault · mouse · arm · net

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — in sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — boats
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. net — after costs
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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