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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 · object · kick · last · capital · vault

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. last — final
  6. kick — in football
  7. last — finally
  8. object — an aim
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. object — to protest
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tear — from crying
  13. object — a thing
  14. last — to go on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. vault — a safe

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