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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 · nail · vault · safe · face · rash · patient · lash

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — hasty
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. vault — a safe
  13. face — to point toward
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. craft — boats
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. safe — out of danger

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