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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: chip · craft · bore · chest · vault · season · lie · pitcher

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. season — of the year
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chest — a box
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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