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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. root — of a word
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. root — of a plant
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — hurry
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mug — a face
  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