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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · chair · cabinet · vault · craft · lash · bass · object

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chair — a leader
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bass — low music
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. object — an aim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — a thing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. track — a path
  24. object — to protest

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