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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rock — a stone
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rock — music
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. scale — in music
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fan — to cool the air

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