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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: tear · foot · kick · vault · rest · lie · patient · rash

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rash — a series
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — in football
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — a break
  12. foot — a measure
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lie — to recline

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