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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: racket · mug · craft · land · lean · mine · chair · vault

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — to bend
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lean — thin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — a face
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mine — for digging
  20. land — a country
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. vault — a safe

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