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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 124 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — of a plant
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. root — the cause
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. content — happy
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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