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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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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: kick · vault · tear · pitcher · bear · content · kid · mug

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mug — to rob
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. content — happy
  14. mug — a face
  15. content — the amount
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kick — in football
  21. mug — a cup
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitcher — a jug

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