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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spring — the season
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. root — the cause
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bass — low music
  9. kick — in football
  10. tube — the underground
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. land — ground
  14. root — of a word
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. land — a country
  18. bass — the fish
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spring — of water
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. root — of a plant
  24. leaves — to go away

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