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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. tear — from crying
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cap — a hat
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. plane — a tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cap — a lid
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tear — to rip
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — boats

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