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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · rash · hide · sharp · wake · craft · degree · vault

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pop — soda
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — a series
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pop — music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — temperature
  21. craft — boats
  22. degree — from a university
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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