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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: craft · press · vault · swing · perch · row · kid · calf

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. press — a publisher
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — to push
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. kid — to tease
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — to paddle
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — music
  23. perch — the fish
  24. craft — a handicraft

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