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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · craft · leaves · stock · straw · lash · staff · vault

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — goods
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lie — to recline
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. staff — a stick
  18. craft — boats
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — shares
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. leaves — of a tree

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