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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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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: cap · vault · can · stick · degree · craft · wave · rule

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. can — a tin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. cap — a hat
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. craft — boats
  22. degree — an amount
  23. can — to be able to
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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