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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ball — a dance
  6. root — of a word
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. shower — to wash
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. root — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — shares
  19. shower — rain
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — goods
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. root — the cause

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