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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: lash · sharp · vault · wind · row · craft · land · wave

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. sharp — clever
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. craft — boats
  7. land — a country
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — ground
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wind — moving air
  13. row — a line
  14. land — to come down
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. row — to paddle
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. craft — a handicraft

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