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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: bear · march · plane · craft · mouse · lash · vault · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. march — the month
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. march — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — boats
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mouse — the animal

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