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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 116 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 · tear · craft · cold · pound · safe · stand · race

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cold — not warm
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pound — a weight
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — to bear
  19. race — the arms race
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. race — a contest
  23. craft — boats
  24. tear — to rip

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