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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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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: object · craft · land · bore · pass · leaves · deal · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. land — a country
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. craft — boats
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. object — to protest
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bore — to tire
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. land — to come down
  23. craft — a skill
  24. land — ground

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