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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 120 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: capital · kick · squash · wound · tear · wave · vault · present

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. kick — in football
  5. tear — from crying
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. capital — money
  9. present — there
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wound — an injury
  18. capital — a city
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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