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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tear — from crying
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. hand — help
  13. object — an aim
  14. spell — letters
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. object — a thing
  17. spell — magic
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pound — a weight
  22. vault — a safe
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tear — from crying

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