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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 120 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: wind · vault · leaves · craft · cue · trunk · safe · row

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. row — to paddle
  3. craft — boats
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — a hint
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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