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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: wake · vault · craft · mate · key · fork · race · bear

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mate — a friend
  8. race — humankind
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. race — a contest
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — in music
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. race — the arms race
  19. key — for a lock
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bear — the animal

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