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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. lean — thin
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fall — the season
  12. cap — a hat
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cap — of ice
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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