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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: season · fine · craft · racket · wave · cold · vault · coach

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cold — not warm
  3. season — of the year
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cold — an illness
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — all right
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fine — high quality
  23. craft — boats
  24. cold — the Cold War

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