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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: craft · race · key · calf · net · face · vault · bulb

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. craft — boats
  4. net — for catching
  5. face — to confront
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. vault — a safe
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. craft — a skill
  18. face — to point toward
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — part of the head
  24. net — after costs

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