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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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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: toast · craft · shower · sharp · squash · row · dip · vault

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. dip — to sink
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. toast — bread
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. shower — to wash
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. squash — the sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. shower — rain
  21. vault — a safe
  22. squash — to crush
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. row — a line

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