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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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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kick — in football
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. vault — a safe
  11. suit — clothes
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — to crush
  18. tear — to rip
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. suit — to fit
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kick — a thrill
  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