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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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468
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: leaves · lash · shower · vault · craft · nail · charge · mate

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — boats
  3. shower — rain
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. mate — a partner
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. shower — to wash
  10. vault — a safe
  11. charge — in control
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — a skill
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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