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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. root — of a word
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stock — shares
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stock — goods
  12. can — to be able to
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — obliged
  16. root — the cause
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a document
  19. bound — tied together
  20. file — a tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — of the sea

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