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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — of a word
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. root — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — a tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. season — of the year
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. season — in sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — the cause
  23. ball — a great time
  24. nail — on a finger

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