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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 116 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: pop · vault · firm · bound · squash · lash · ground · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — steady
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pop — music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bound — certain
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ground — the earth
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ground — a position
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pop — soda
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bound — obliged
  19. tear — to rip
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. bound — tied together
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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