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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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — from crying
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mark — a trace
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — after costs
  13. object — to protest
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. object — a thing
  16. net — in sport
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bark — to shout
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cell — in biology

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