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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: tear · current · foot · club · vault · bear

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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. current — of water
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. current — happening now
  9. club — for golf
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. club — a group
  12. bear — the animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — electric
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — from crying

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