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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. root — of a word
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rock — a stone
  10. present — the time now
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. present — there
  13. can — to be able to
  14. present — a gift
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. squash — the sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. spring — the season
  21. rest — what's left
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — music

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