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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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Word bank
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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. content — happy
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wake — a trail
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — completely
  8. root — of a plant
  9. vault — a safe
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rock — a stone
  18. root — the cause
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. content — the amount
  24. kick — in football

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