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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.

Make a worksheet

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: vault · field · craft · hide · temple · spell · cabinet · plane

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — magic
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a skill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. field — a subject
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. spell — a short time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. field — farmland
  23. spell — letters
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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