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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. root — of a plant
  6. last — final
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — to bend
  9. last — finally
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. scale — in music
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. root — the cause
  20. scale — size or range
  21. season — of the year
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. vault — a safe
  24. season — in sport

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