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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: tear · craft · content · vault · shower · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tear — from crying
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. shower — to wash
  16. craft — boats
  17. vault — a safe
  18. craft — a skill

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