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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. track — a song
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rush — hurry
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — to keep track
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. track — a path
  20. tube — a container
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rush — to hurry

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