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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · pitcher · kid · bore · lie · vault · rash · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — child
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. kid — to tease
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rash — a series
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — a skill

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