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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · pitcher · face · tear · vault · hand · safe · coach

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. tear — to rip
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. face — part of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — to bend
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — to confront
  24. safe — a strongbox

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