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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rash — a series
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. tear — to rip
  8. file — a document
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stock — goods
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. rash — hasty
  19. file — a tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. vault — a safe

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