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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: lash · craft · vault · field · spring · foot · ruler · board

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. craft — boats
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — farmland
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. vault — a safe
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. field — for sport
  20. spring — of water
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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