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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tear — to rip
  3. vault — a safe
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spring — a coil
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. spring — the season
  9. branch — a division
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spring — of water
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tear — from crying
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — a position
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bore — to drill
  18. staff — a stick
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bore — to tire
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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