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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. content — happy
  6. snap — to click
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. vault — a safe
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. content — the amount
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cue — a signal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pass — a permit
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. face — to point toward
  24. trunk — of a car

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