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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · tear · kick · wave · mouse · racket

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kick — in football
  12. tear — to rip
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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