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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 · object · tear · lie · coach · ground · bound · pitcher

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — the earth
  4. object — an aim
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ground — crushed
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ground — a position
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. object — a thing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bound — certain
  24. pitcher — a jug

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