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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. ground — a position
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. vault — a safe
  4. current — electric
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — to tease
  7. squash — the sport
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — the earth
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. current — happening now
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kid — child
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — to crush
  18. root — the cause
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — crushed
  22. root — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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