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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: band · craft · vault · fine · roll · stick · bore · saw

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — a skill
  3. band — a music group
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. craft — boats
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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