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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. root — the cause
  3. rock — a stone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. root — of a word
  8. cold — not warm
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. present — there
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cell — a phone
  19. firm — steady
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cold — an illness
  22. firm — a company
  23. wake — a trail
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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