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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — of a word
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. cold — not warm
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. dip — to sink
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. tube — a container
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rock — music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rock — a stone
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. nail — for a hammer

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