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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. root — the cause
  3. perch — the fish
  4. vault — a safe
  5. root — of a word
  6. tube — a container
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. tube — the underground
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. kid — to tease
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lie — to recline
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kid — child
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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