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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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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. root — of a word
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fall — to drop
  8. root — of a plant
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bank — for money
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cap — a hat
  14. root — the cause
  15. bank — for money
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stand — to bear
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fall — the season
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fall — to drop

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