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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: fork · craft · bat · stand · fall · stick · shower · vault

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — the season
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. shower — rain

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