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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. deal — to handle
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mine — for digging
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. shower — rain
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. shower — to wash

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