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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — the cause
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. scale — in music
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. root — of a word
  24. straw — a straw man

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