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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. firm — steady
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — decided
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. firm — a company
  23. tear — to rip
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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