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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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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: cold · fine · craft · cabinet · racket · snap · vault · board

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — high quality
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fine — all right
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — boats
  14. cold — not warm
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cold — an illness
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. board — to get on
  22. craft — a skill
  23. board — a committee
  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