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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: race · firm · cap · staff · hide · march · craft · vault

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cap — a lid
  4. craft — a skill
  5. firm — a company
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. race — the arms race
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. firm — decided
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. firm — steady
  19. race — a contest
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — boats
  23. cap — of ice
  24. march — the month

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