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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: fine · vault · pop · cell · craft · lie · stand · spell

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — letters
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fine — all right
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pop — soda
  17. spell — magic
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pop — music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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