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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: object · band · wound · vault · current · hide · race · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — of water
  5. race — the arms race
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. band — a ring
  8. object — a thing
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. object — an aim
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. craft — a skill
  13. current — happening now
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — to protest
  16. band — a music group
  17. race — a contest
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. craft — boats
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. race — humankind
  24. vault — a safe

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