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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. tear — from crying
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chair — a leader
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — letters
  7. kick — in football
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — a path
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chip — to eat
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. kick — a thrill

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