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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: bay · vault · perch · current · tear · spell · bear · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — letters
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. firm — steady
  15. spell — a short time
  16. perch — the fish
  17. tear — from crying
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — magic
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — a safe
  24. firm — a company

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