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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 124 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tear — from crying
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — in a race
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rash — a series
  24. cabinet — ministers

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