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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 116 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 · vault · stick · straw · dip · pound · safe · band

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. 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. vault — a safe
  2. band — a ring
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. band — a music group
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. 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