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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. last — to go on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. root — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. last — final
  15. court — of a king
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. last — finally
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. snap — to click
  24. cell — in biology

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