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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — in football
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. tear — from crying
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. press — a publisher
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. vault — a safe
  19. press — to push
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. plane — a tool
  24. game — a match

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