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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · craft · land · vault · mate · hand · sharp · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mate — a partner
  3. root — the cause
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hand — help
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hand — in cards
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. root — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. land — a country
  19. mate — a friend
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. root — of a word
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. craft — boats
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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