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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: bat · saw · craft · vault · root · lash · deal · fall

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a word
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. craft — boats
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. craft — a skill
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fall — the season
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. root — the cause
  24. deal — to handle

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