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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. row — to paddle
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. root — of a word
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. row — a line
  11. root — of a plant
  12. vault — a safe
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. root — the cause
  16. wound — an injury
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — a box

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