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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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468
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: tear · lie · bulb · sharp · pop · bank · deal · vault

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — a safe
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bank — for money
  19. pop — soda
  20. lie — to recline
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pop — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. tear — to rip

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