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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. object — a thing
  7. club — a group
  8. bat — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. tear — from crying
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. object — to protest
  13. club — for dancing
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rash — a series
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — for golf
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pass — a permit

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