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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: vault · trunk · stick · rest · march · sharp · craft · land

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rest — what's left
  9. craft — boats
  10. vault — a safe
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. land — a country
  17. march — music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. land — ground
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — to come down
  24. sharp — with an edge

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