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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — of a word
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — to come down
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wax — to grow
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. land — a country
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — ground
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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