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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cap — a lid
  6. charge — electricity
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. kid — child
  9. firm — steady
  10. rock — music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bass — low music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. tear — to rip
  24. firm — decided

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