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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. cap — of ice
  3. key — in music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — to get on
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cap — a hat
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — a lid
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — a committee
  17. pound — a weight
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. tear — from crying
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. tear — to rip
  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