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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: staff · tear · bay · perch · drill · snap · bat · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. tear — to rip
  6. drill — army training
  7. snap — to click
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — a practice
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — the tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. staff — employees
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. tear — from crying
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tear — from crying

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