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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wind — moving air
  15. root — of a word
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mine — for digging
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. root — the cause

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