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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. band — a music group
  13. drill — army training
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. deal — to handle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cap — of ice
  20. craft — a skill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. band — a ring
  24. craft — boats

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