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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — a safe
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. root — of a word
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fall — the season
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bass — low music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — the cause
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bass — the instrument

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