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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. root — of a word
  5. tear — from crying
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. capital — money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. root — the cause
  12. rest — a break
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bass — the fish
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. capital — a city
  24. rest — what's left

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