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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — the cause
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rest — a break
  23. root — of a word
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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