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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. root — of a plant
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a trace
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — finally
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. band — a ring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. last — final
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. last — to go on
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — of a word
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. band — a music group
  24. shower — to wash

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