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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 124 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. spell — letters
  5. pop — to visit
  6. drill — army training
  7. tear — to rip
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bass — low music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. root — of a plant
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pop — music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — a safe
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pop — soda
  23. spell — magic
  24. branch — of a tree

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