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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — of a word
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — of a plant
  6. swing — in golf
  7. root — the cause
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pop — to visit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pop — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. swing — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pop — soda
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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