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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kid — child
  14. root — the cause
  15. tube — a container
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — finally
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. last — final

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