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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 · vault · hand · tube · leaves · nail · club · craft

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. club — for dancing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tube — the underground
  13. club — for golf
  14. hand — help
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. craft — boats
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. club — a group

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