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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. club — a group
  13. kid — to tease
  14. vault — a safe
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. tear — from crying
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for golf

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