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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — certain
  3. object — a thing
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bat — the animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bound — tied together
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rock — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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