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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cold — not warm
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — the cause
  10. scale — in music
  11. root — of a word
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bowl — a dish

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