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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. season — of the year
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — money
  10. root — of a plant
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. capital — a city
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. root — the cause
  19. season — in sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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