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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. firm — a company
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — steady
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — to recline
  10. object — an aim
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. object — to protest
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bat — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — decided
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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