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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. vault — a safe
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. swing — music
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tear — from crying
  14. foot — a measure
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. suit — to fit
  24. dip — to sink

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