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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. craft — boats
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. last — final
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. craft — a skill
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. last — to go on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. last — finally

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