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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. squash — to crush
  5. scale — size or range
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. root — of a word
  9. squash — the sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. staff — a stick
  12. scale — in music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. staff — employees
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. sharp — clever
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. staff — employees
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. root — the cause
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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