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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. root — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. court — of law
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — magic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lie — to recline
  14. root — the cause
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — a short time
  17. court — of a king
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. root — of a word
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spell — letters
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. court — for sport
  24. vault — a safe

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