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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. drill — army training
  4. stand — to bear
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. suit — to fit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — child
  13. drill — a practice
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — to rip
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. vault — a safe
  24. patient — a sick person

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