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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 120 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: hand · arm · bulb · craft · cap · temple · field · vault

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. field — a subject
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hand — help
  5. cap — a hat
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cap — a lid
  10. vault — a safe
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cap — of ice

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