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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: net · lie · content · tear · leaves · bowl · bear · vault

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tear — from crying
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. content — happy
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. content — the amount
  20. net — after costs
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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