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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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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: cold · foot · vault · current · craft · plane · board · temple

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cold — an illness
  5. board — a committee
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cold — not warm
  10. plane — a tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. current — electric
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. board — to get on
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — a measure
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. vault — a safe
  23. craft — a skill
  24. plane — in geometry

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