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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rash — hasty
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rash — a series
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — in a race
  12. root — of a word
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. spell — a short time
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pound — a weight
  19. root — the cause
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. root — of a plant

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