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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. kid — child
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cold — not warm
  7. root — of a plant
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cold — an illness
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chip — for betting
  22. plane — a tool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. vault — a safe

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