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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: lean · game · tear · vault · rush · charge · fall · deal

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lean — thin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. game — a match
  13. charge — a price
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — to bend
  21. game — wild animals
  22. tear — from crying
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fall — the season

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