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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. last — finally
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — a friend
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — a match
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. last — final
  14. mate — to breed
  15. board — a committee
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — the cause
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. root — of a plant
  21. vault — a safe
  22. last — to go on
  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