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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chip — to eat
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spell — magic
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spell — a short time
  9. root — of a word
  10. pass — a permit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — the cause
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. root — of a plant
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fall — the season
  23. spell — letters
  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