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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
468
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: vault · wind · mug · craft · root · leaves · tube · bass

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — boats
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wind — moving air
  12. root — of a word
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — the cause
  23. vault — a safe
  24. leaves — to go away

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