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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: staff · shower · sharp · mine · vault · cap · craft · lean

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. craft — a skill
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. shower — to wash
  15. craft — boats
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. lean — thin
  24. vault — a safe

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