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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. drill — the tool
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. drill — army training
  6. perch — the fish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. drill — a practice
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — to confront
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — part of the head
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pound — a weight
  18. root — of a word
  19. face — to point toward
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — a safe
  24. land — a country

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