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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 116 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: row · wave · stick · craft · last · saw · mate · vault

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — to breed
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. last — to go on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. craft — boats
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — a line
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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