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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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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: vault · saw · craft · lean · land · deal · march · leaves

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. deal — to handle
  4. craft — a skill
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — a safe
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — boats
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. land — ground
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. land — to come down
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. saw — the tool
  21. march — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lean — to bend
  24. saw — the tool

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