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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. pit — in a race
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. object — to protest
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kick — in football
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kick — with a leg

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