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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pop — music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pound — a weight
  5. swing — to play on
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fine — all right
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. swing — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. tear — to rip
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — high quality
  15. vault — a safe
  16. craft — boats
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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