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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · craft · vault · file · mug · mate · hand · wax

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fine — all right
  3. craft — boats
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. file — a line of people
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mug — a face
  19. file — a tool
  20. mate — to breed
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wax — to grow
  23. file — a document
  24. mate — a friend

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