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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: wound · mate · foot · vault · fine · chip · lie · tear

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — all right
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mate — a friend
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. tear — to rip

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