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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. root — of a word
  5. cell — a phone
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — in a race
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. saw — the tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. dip — to sink
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pit — a hole

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