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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. scale — in music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rest — a break
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — magic
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spell — letters
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spell — a short time
  17. drill — a practice
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ball — a great time
  24. drill — army training

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