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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. game — a match
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. content — happy
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. content — the amount
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. game — wild animals
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. content — videos and posts

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