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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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