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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rock — a stone
  3. tube — a container
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. tear — from crying
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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