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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.

Make a worksheet

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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. object — an aim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — to protest
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fall — the season
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — the cause
  24. object — a thing

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