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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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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: craft · rash · vault · staff · nail · swing · ball · spell

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. swing — in golf
  3. spell — letters
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rash — hasty
  8. craft — boats
  9. ball — a great time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — a stick
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spell — magic
  20. rash — a series
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ball — a round shape

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