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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — a safe
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kid — to tease
  19. root — the cause
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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