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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: cue · squash · jam · tear · bulb · vault · ground · leaves

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. squash — the sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bulb — for light
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ground — a position
  16. cue — for pool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cue — a hint
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tear — from crying

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