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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — tied together
  4. field — for sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tear — from crying
  7. file — a document
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. tear — to rip
  21. track — a song
  22. file — a tool
  23. field — a subject
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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