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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fall — the season
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — a permit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tear — from crying
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. game — wild animals
  10. tear — from crying
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — the cause
  14. fall — to drop
  15. root — of a word
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. game — a match
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — to spend time

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