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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. band — a ring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — the underground
  11. root — the cause
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. perch — the fish
  19. toast — bread
  20. root — of a word
  21. lean — thin
  22. band — a music group
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. tube — a container

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