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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. vault — a safe
  3. file — a document
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lean — thin
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. file — a tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lean — to bend
  16. root — the cause
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ruler — for measuring

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