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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: field · vault · lean · craft · land · root · wound · kick

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. land — to come down
  3. vault — a safe
  4. kick — in football
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. field — for sport
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. field — a subject
  14. land — a country
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — farmland
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. root — the cause
  20. craft — a skill
  21. land — ground
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. root — of a word
  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