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

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tear — to rip
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spell — magic
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. game — a match
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — wild animals
  21. tear — from crying
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. lie — an untruth

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