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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. root — of a plant
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — of a word
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — for catching
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — after costs
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. dip — to sink
  13. charge — in control
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — letters
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — a practice
  23. net — in sport
  24. charge — a price

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