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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pop — to visit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — all right
  16. pop — soda
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. pop — music
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. hide — to keep secret

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