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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: vault · arm · bear · tear · suit · object · sharp · mine

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — a thing
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. object — an aim
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. suit — in cards
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. sharp — clever
  22. object — to protest
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. arm — part of the body

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