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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. vault — a safe
  8. root — of a word
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bound — tied together
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. spell — a short time
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — a series
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bound — certain

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