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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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — a contest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. race — humankind
  14. tear — to rip
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — for tennis

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