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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: snap · present · craft · game · vault · mug · date · rash

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mug — to rob
  3. craft — boats
  4. mug — a cup
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — a series
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. present — there
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rash — hasty
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. vault — a safe
  21. snap — to click
  22. game — a match
  23. mug — a face
  24. craft — a skill

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