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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. spell — magic
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spell — a short time
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — a thing
  17. root — of a word
  18. kick — in football
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. object — an aim
  23. root — the cause
  24. bulb — for light

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