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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: craft · squash · leaves · vault · spring · bass · sharp · row

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. spring — the season
  3. squash — to crush
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spring — of water
  6. row — a line
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. craft — boats
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — clever
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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