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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: vault · deal · chip · kick · wave · chest · object · tear

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — from crying
  5. kick — in football
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chip — to eat
  12. object — to protest
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chest — a box
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. deal — to handle
  24. object — an aim

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