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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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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tear — to rip
  7. key — the most important part
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — to handle
  12. vault — a safe
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. face — part of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — certain
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — in music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bound — tied together

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