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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wound — an injury
  9. field — a subject
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — for sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. band — a ring
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — farmland
  23. dip — to sink
  24. root — the cause

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