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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 120 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: pass · squash · chest · spring · nail · tear · season · vault

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — a coil
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spring — of water
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chest — a box
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. pass — a permit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — the season
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. squash — to crush
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chest — of your body
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tear — to rip

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