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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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Word bank
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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. track — a path
  3. tear — to rip
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. clip — to cut
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. net — after costs
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. object — to protest
  12. clip — a video
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. clip — for paper
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. snap — to click
  21. fork — in a road
  22. track — a song
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tear — from crying

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