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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. root — of a word
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. shower — rain
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bear — the animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. plane — a tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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