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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 116 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 · pit · fork · craft · spell · vault · cell · calf

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cell — a phone
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spell — letters
  17. cell — in biology
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — boats
  24. fork — a garden tool

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