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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. face — part of the head
  4. vault — a safe
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. face — to confront
  9. snap — to click
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. root — of a plant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — in music
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bark — to shout
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — the cause
  19. face — to point toward
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. root — of a word
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bank — for money

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