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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. current — happening now
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. root — the cause
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — a division
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. current — of water
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. prune — to trim

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