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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. root — of a word
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pop — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — the cause
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — to shout
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fall — the season
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fall — to drop

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