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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: chest · row · present · kid · plane · vault · craft · chip

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. plane — a tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. present — a gift
  8. row — to paddle
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chip — to eat
  11. row — a line
  12. craft — boats
  13. present — there
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chest — a box
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kid — to tease
  22. vault — a safe
  23. kid — child
  24. chest — of your body

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