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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tube — the underground
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mark — a grade
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — a break
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tube — a container

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