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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. track — a song
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. root — of a word
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bore — to tire
  18. dip — to sink
  19. root — the cause
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bore — to drill
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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