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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: lie · chair · rest · spring · bear · vault · craft · snap

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. snap — to click
  4. vault — a safe
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spring — of water
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — the season
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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