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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. file — a document
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — a trace
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. root — of a plant
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — a grade
  12. press — to push
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wax — to grow
  17. press — newspapers
  18. file — a tool
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. file — a line of people
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bore — gave birth

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