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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. file — a line of people
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. track — a path
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bass — low music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a document
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — a supporter

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