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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: suit · bulb · tear · vault · pitcher · racket · lean · lie

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — an untruth

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