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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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Word bank
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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 · suit · vault · cap · staff · present

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — in cards
  10. staff — a stick
  11. vault — a safe
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — the time now
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cap — a hat
  17. suit — to fit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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