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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tear — to rip
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. march — the month
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — in football
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. track — a path
  18. march — music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. track — a song
  24. rush — hurry

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