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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 · roll · capital · leaves · mark · clip

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. craft — a skill
  10. capital — money
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. roll — a list
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — a cake
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mark — a trace
  23. capital — a city
  24. craft — a handicraft

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