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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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468
Word bank
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. saw — the tool
  9. degree — an amount
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. degree — temperature
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — the tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. shower — rain
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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