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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hand — help
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tear — from crying
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. prune — to trim

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