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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · vault · foot · tear · spell · spring · can · lie

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spell — a short time
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spell — magic
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. spell — letters
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lie — to recline
  15. foot — a measure
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — from crying
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. spring — the season

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