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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: deal · trunk · bulb · pass · wind · vault · hide · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pass — a permit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hide — animal skin

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