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

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. land — to come down
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chest — a box
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chest — of your body
  10. craft — boats
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. land — ground
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. land — a country
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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