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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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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: vault · can · craft · capital · lash · tear · swing · jam

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. vault — a safe
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — a skill
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. craft — boats
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. capital — a city
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. swing — to play on
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. can — to be able to
  24. tear — to rip

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