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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rest — a break
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mine — for digging
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mine — an explosive

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