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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: fan · mine · track · fall · bark · vault · craft · kick

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. track — a song
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fall — the season
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. craft — boats
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — to shout

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