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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. root — of a word
  3. land — a country
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wake — a trail
  7. snap — to click
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. root — the cause
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kick — in football
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — to come down
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — ground

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