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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.

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: saw · hand · vault · calf · hide · craft · pitcher · bass

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bass — the fish
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — help
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. craft — boats
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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