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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: rest · fine · kid · track · lash · toast · craft · vault

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. track — a path
  3. rest — what's left
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fine — high quality
  6. kid — child
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fine — all right
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rest — a break
  16. craft — boats
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. track — a song
  23. kid — to tease
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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