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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: vault · wind · race · key · craft · pass · leaves · perch

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — boats
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. craft — a skill
  6. race — humankind
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. key — in music
  24. perch — for a bird

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