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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. firm — steady
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kid — child
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. firm — decided
  10. kid — to tease
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — in football
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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