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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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Word bank
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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: spell · mark · tear · fine · vault · nail · bore · bay

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spell — letters
  5. fine — all right
  6. tear — to rip
  7. spell — magic
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mark — a trace
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. nail — for a hammer

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