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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: firm · deal · bay · tear · can · vault

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. vault — a safe
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. can — a tin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. tear — to rip
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. deal — to handle
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. deal — a big deal

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