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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 116 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: craft · vault · kid · bay · leaves · stock · lash · hide

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stock — goods
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stock — shares
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kid — child
  24. vault — a safe

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