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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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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: pop · key · jam · saw · rash · fall · vault · tear

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — the most important part
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pop — to visit
  15. key — in music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rash — a series
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fall — the season
  24. rash — on the skin

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