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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: craft · vault · court · ruler · lash · rock · foot · prune

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — for sport
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rock — music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. foot — a measure
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ruler — for measuring

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