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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: rush · wave · jam · vault · pass · craft · land · prune

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pass — a permit
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. vault — a safe
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. land — to come down
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pass — to spend time

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