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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. root — of a word
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — a break
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. drill — a practice
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. last — final
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. can — to be able to
  24. dip — to sink

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