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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. face — part of the head
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. face — to confront
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a dance
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. root — the cause
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. root — of a word
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ball — a great time
  22. face — to point toward
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a round shape

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