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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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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: craft · present · cabinet · vault · nail · rash · shower · pitch

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rash — hasty
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pitch — completely
  19. present — a gift
  20. shower — rain
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rash — a series
  24. craft — boats

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