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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · tear · dip · spell · kick · vault

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tear — to rip
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. spell — letters
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — to go away

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