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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: file · tear · lash · vault · mug · capital

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mug — a cup
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — a face
  6. capital — money
  7. vault — a safe
  8. tear — from crying
  9. file — a document
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tear — to rip
  15. capital — a city
  16. mug — to rob
  17. file — a tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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