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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rush — hurry
  4. root — the cause
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chest — a box
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. root — of a word
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a grade
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. root — of a plant
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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