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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. key — in music
  6. root — of a word
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. key — for a lock
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. root — the cause
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. vault — a safe
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rush — hurry

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