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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: craft · vault · march · kid · arm · hide · cabinet · saw

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. march — the month
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. kid — to tease
  21. march — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kid — child

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