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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: bound · hand · tear · nail · object · vault · season · sharp

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. hand — in cards
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — a safe
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — to protest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hand — help
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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