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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: vault · chair · rest · toast · bark · firm · stick · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — a company
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — to shout
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rest — a break
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — decided
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chair — a leader
  19. firm — steady
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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