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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: stick · tear · vault · deal · sharp · kick · wax · shower

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. kick — in football
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wax — to grow
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. shower — to wash
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wax — in the ear

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