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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. kid — to tease
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mine — for digging
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — child
  20. craft — boats
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. root — the cause
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. plane — in geometry

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