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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: snap · craft · plane · rule · vault · hide · rash · racket

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. vault — a safe
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rule — government
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — boats
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — a law
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rash — on the skin

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