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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: leaves · craft · saw · face · vault · jam · season · mug

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — in sport
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. face — to confront
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. mug — a face
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mug — a cup
  21. face — to point toward
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. leaves — to go away

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