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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rash — a series
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. row — a line
  11. vault — a safe
  12. drill — army training
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tear — from crying
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. deal — to handle

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