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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. root — the cause
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wave — with your hand

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