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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — decided
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. firm — steady
  6. clip — a video
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. clip — to cut
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. key — for a lock
  13. firm — a company
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. key — the most important part
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. clip — for paper
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — in music

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