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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. deal — to handle
  3. club — for dancing
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. club — for golf
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. vault — a safe
  12. club — a group
  13. fall — the season
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fall — to drop
  16. root — of a word
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cell — a phone
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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